


Catching her Breath

by Writerleft



Series: Comes Marching Home [10]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Book 3, Canon Compliant, Korrasami - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-27
Updated: 2017-10-27
Packaged: 2019-01-25 02:33:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12520996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writerleft/pseuds/Writerleft
Summary: The appearance of new airbenders opens a world of possabilities--and for a certain engineer, a raft of emotional issues to work through.





	Catching her Breath

_Fanart courtesy of[runningfromthecuccos](https://runningfromthecuccos.tumblr.com/post/174872635706/i-dont-need-bending-but-you-want-it-i-dont)_

 

Asami closed her door, her hand lingering on the polished wood as she contemplated the events of the day.

Bumi was an airbender.

Asami paced around her room on Air Temple Island. Mako and Bolin had an apartment in the city (or they had, before the vines moved in) and she had a whole mansion she could move back to, but the life on this island, Pema's food and kind smiles, Korra staying nearby... somehow, the cramped, sparse little room was hard to abandon.

Bumi was an airbender.

Whatever Korra had done during Harmonic Convergence, barely a few weeks ago, had awakened bending in somebody who hadn't had it. More than one someone, if Mako was to be believed.

Bumi himself was still in shock about it. Tenzin, even more so.

Asami...

Asami balled her fists, striding into the room.

She knew what she was feeling.

But she didn't know how she felt about that.

She paced, as the thoughts raced through her head: Bumi had Air Nomad blood. Maybe that other person did, too, from further back. They had been nomads, after all. Maybe Harmonic Convergence had just activated that.

Or maybe it hadn't. Maybe it was random. Maybe everybody had a chance to be a bender, now.

Or maybe it was just people who had been involved. The battle in Republic City left spirit vines everywhere, maybe this was connected?

But Bumi had been at the North Pole. And so had Asami.

She shook her head. She'd know, right? She'd feel it if... if...

Bumi had been surprised. If anyone would've recognized the difference, it would be Aang's non-bending son, right?

I don't need bending.

But you want it.

I don't need it. I'm enough. I work so hard, I do so much, I have to be enough. I don't need it.

But you want it.

Of course I want it!

Asami growled, grabbing the pillow off her bed and hurling it across the room.

Perfectly ballistic trajectory. No airbending behind it.

She slumped on the stiff mattress, staring at the floor.

I work so hard to be a good person. I make use of every resource I have available. I do good. Bending wouldn't make me any better, any more valuable as a person.

Wouldn't it, though? Everything you can already do, all the resources you already have, and airbending on top of it? Mathematically speaking, wouldn't that still make you better?

Of course not!

You're being stubborn.

Bending isn't everything! Dad always—

Asami's fingers dug into the sheet. Had she absorbed some of his poison, without even realizing it?

She stood, storming across the room. No, no he's a terrible man and he's wrong about a lot of things, but you can't value a bender over anyone else. You just can't. How much talent, how much potential would be lost if the world functioned that way?

But how much more could be gained if everybody was a bender?

How much better would your life be, if you were a bender?

You wouldn't have to be sent away in big fights. You could relate better to your friends. Practice with them. You wouldn't automatically be second-best.

You could spend more time with Korra.

Asami paused. I've already been doing that. She even seems to enjoy it.

How long can that last, though? How closely can she really relate to you?

There's more to her than bending. A lot more. That's not why she's my friend.

But why am I hers?

Asami turned, looking at her door, her pillow crumpled against the bottom.

She decided.

Long, quick strides, pausing only to open her door and throw her pillow back at her bed, then before she had time to second-guess herself, she was in front of Korra's room.

She rapped her knuckle on the door, and then, then the second-guessing caught up.

This was silly. Korra had bigger problems. 8% approval—that was worse than Future Industries right after the Equalist uprising. That was also ridiculous, Korra was amazing and people were just blowing off steam, but between that and her troubles with the president, would Korra really want to hear—

Korra opened her door, saw Asami, and smiled. “Hey! You alright?”

“I...” she hesitated, but Korra's smile, the concern in those big blue eyes... she couldn't resist. She'd known this would happen the moment she'd started toward Korra's room. “Yeah. Yeah I'm fine. Weird day, right?”

“Yeah, no kidding. Want to come in?”

“I don't want to be a bother,” Asami said, one arm crossing herself, clutching the opposite elbow. Why was she being so silly?

“Nonsense!” Korra said, clutching her arm and yanking her into the room. “It’s not like I'm doing anything. Even if I were, I'll always make time for you. You know that, right?”

Asami blinked. Talking and support, she'd expected—Korra was nothing if not supportive—but something that strong? She felt her cheeks heating, just a little, and let herself smile. “I appreciate that. And I'm always there for you, too.”

“Have been so far,” Korra smirked, sitting heavily on the bed, then dropping her hands in her lap. “So, what's up?”

Asami looked around for somewhere to sit, but Korra's room was pretty sparse. Korra nodded at the bed beside her, and a few thoughts tumbled together in Asami's mind—about the two of them tumbling together, where was that coming from?—but Korra's meaning was clearly innocent.

She sat beside her friend. “I just... It has to be a big deal, for Bumi. I'm sure Aang loved him and all, but part of him had to think of himself as a disappointment, for all these years.”

“Oh, I know he did,” Korra sighed. No rushed defense of her predecessor—just sympathy for the man she knew. “We've had a few chats over the years, even a few drinks.”

“Drinks?”

Korra chuckled. “We start young, in the Water Tribe. Gotta keep warm at night somehow.” Korra winked, and Asami wondered if she was as innocent as Asami had been assuming. “Bumi and I have had our bonding moments, and yeah, he puts on a big goofy act, but... I think it almost disappointed Bumi that his parents didn't disown him or something, you know?”

Asami nodded, staring at the floor. Bumi must always have wanted to be like his parents, to have something to share with them. Bending would only push her further away from her father—but maybe that was part of why she wanted it? 

 Korra reached over, touching her chin, tilting it toward her. “Hey... what's this really about? You seem a little out of whack.”

She chuckled a little, nodding. “I just... I mean, I get it. He spent decades wishing he could be a bender, like his family, like his dad. I don't have the family connection, but the world is the way it is, and I thought... I thought I was okay with who I am, that I'd proven myself, but I thought, maybe... maybe if people are getting airbending... maybe I might... maybe this might be my one chance to... I dunno. Matter.”

Asami expected a touch to her shoulder, a kind word, a hug. Something supportive. Something kind.

Instead, Korra bound to her feet, back straight and arms back. “Asami! Don't you dare think like that!”

“What?”

“You do matter! Asami, you're freakin' amazing!”

Asami chuckled. “Freaking?”

“Yeah. Shut up. You're a genius with a huge heart and you kick so much butt and you always do the right thing... I mean, okay, self-doubt makes sense and all. Even Aang felt inadequate sometimes... or so I'm told at least...” she ended in a mutter.

The loss of her past lives was still a recent sting, but before Asami could swoop in to offer comfort of her own, Korra put on a goofy grin and kept going: “Point is, Asami you're incredible. And if it turned out you gained airbending, I'd be so excited to teach you—but it’s not like I need more excuses to spend time with you!”

Being trained by Korra... she hadn't even thought that far ahead. They'd practiced some hand-to-hand together, and once Korra had been knocked flat a few times, she'd really cut loose, even started letting Asami teach her a bit. It was something small to share, but Asami found herself cherishing every chance. The idea they could share something closer, something more special—how many people in the world knew airbending? Even if there were hundreds or thousands of new airbenders, the people who could teach them all lived on this island. To have Korra teaching her herself...

“Asami?”

She shook the thoughts away, giving Korra a small smile. “Sorry. Like you said, it's been a long day. I just... if you got to choose, would you want me to be an airbender?”

“I would want you to be happy.”

“That's a cheap answer.”

“Is it? It's an honest one. You're my friend.”

Dammit. Dammit dammit. She wasn't going to cry. Not in front of Korra—Spirits, why had that hit her so hard?

“Hey... hey hey...” Korra said, a hand on her shoulder now, sitting back down beside her, their legs touching. “It's okay. This is new information, tough to process, you know? Maybe you never thought about it because you never thought it could happen.”

“There's a lot I never thought could happen,” Asami said, shocked at her own bitterness.

Korra pulled her into a hug, and Asami melted into it. Stupid... what would Korra think of her now?

“I can't believe how strong you are,” Korra soothed, squeezing her gently, tenderly. “All the things that happened... your dad, the company. I wouldn't have blamed you if you'd never wanted to talk to me again. But I'm really glad you stayed.”

Where else could she have gone? Back to her mansion? Alone with all the memories?

But that's not what Korra meant.

“Thank you,” Asami said. “You, and the others… it means a lot to have you in my life. I’m not... not always as strong as you think.” 

“Well, you can lean on me a little, if you need to. I know you’ve held me up a few times.” 

“I have?” 

“You… Asami, I admire the heck out of you. Just being yourself has been an inspiration!” 

Asami laughed, not really believing her, but believing she believed it. 

That… helped. 

“Whatever happens, Asami, I want you to know you have a place by my side. Okay?”

“Okay,” Asami said, starting to loosen her grip.

Korra held her tight. “Nuh-uh. Something tells me you haven't gotten enough hugs lately.

Asami chuckled, wiping her eyes. “Alright, alright... let me adjust my position at least?”

Korra nodded, and before long they were sitting against the wall, their legs splayed out across the narrow mattress.

This didn't feel like friendship. Not exactly. Not that Asami had a lot of history to go by... but this was something else. Something more.

Something she needed way more than airbending.

“Thanks for keeping me on the team,”

“Don't mention it,” Korra smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> [Visit me on my tumblr! Say hi! ](https://threehoursfromtroy.tumblr.com/)


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